Today, more than 80% of global shipping involves containers. They're packed with everything from personal storage items in dry containers to heavy machinery on flat rack containers. For business owners shipping products, getting a container from point A to point B requires precise planning and high-level tracking. But that's easier said than done when global supply chains become over-congested, leading to loading time issues and delays.
That's bad news for business owners who are already under a massive amount of stress. The truth is that container storage delays can cripple a business, but there's a viable solution: drayage brokers in Philadelphia, PA like RelyEx. Drayage companies provide unique solutions to minimize demurrage and help ensure the successful delivery of your freight.
With more than 30 combined years of experience and a solutions-oriented team, RelyEx has quickly become the first choice for streamlined, efficient drayage services. To understand the true value of RelyEx's offerings in the global logistics industry, it helps to understand first what drayage is and why it's used.
If you're a seasoned business owner who uses port drayage to transport your products, you know exactly how important the service can be. But if you were to poll a group of random people, you may get five different definitions of the term "drayage." That begs the question, how is one of the most crucial steps in the supply chain and most vital components of global trade such a confusing concept? When you break it down, it's not too difficult to grasp.
Drayage, by definition, means the transportation of freight from an ocean port to another destination. Today, drayage is also used to describe the process of transporting products and goods over short distances or over "the first mile."
While drayage often means short-distance movements during the supply chain process, it's primarily used in the container shipping space. Drayage loads usually have arrival and departure points in the same city and don't include long-haul, national transportation.
Because a drayage load can mean a few different things, confusion among carriers is common. Many carriers link drayage with going into a port, but that isn't always true. While all drayage loads typically originate from a port of entry, there are often several legs of a drayage journey before a container turns up at its final stop. Legs of a drayage load may include:
You may be thinking, what's so important about drayage? It's such a small step in the container storage transport process. In reality, it's an integral piece needed in the logistics industry and a crucial part of U.S. supply chain management.
To truly understand the importance of drayage, let's use flowers as an example. Most cut flower shipments enter the market from areas in South America until they end up at Dutch auction houses. Once there, wholesalers purchase flowers in bulk and send those products to retail outlets worldwide. Because flowers are perishable, they typically need to be refrigerated and are often shipped in reefer containers. These refrigerated vessels must maintain a certain temp to prevent loss.
Drayage companies like RelyEx allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services. Drayage companies allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind, because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services.
If port drayage is compromised, it can cause delays and even fines. You know the packages you get delivered to your front door from apps like Amazon? Without drayage and drayage brokers, one or two-day shipping times wouldn't even be possible.
As a multi-billion-dollar industry in the U.S. alone, it seems like drayage shipping issues shouldn't exist. But the fact is inefficiencies and congestion are still major problems at ports. Whether it's a lack of carriers, absent chassis, or overburdened terminals, delays lead to missed deadlines, lost revenue, and worse.
But anytime challenges exist, so too do innovative solutions.
QUOTE REQUESTRelyEx was created because our founders saw a need in the logistics space for more reliability and efficiency. The reality of the shipping and logistics industry is that it has become very transactional. It's an odd evolution, because most businesses seek a third-party logistics partner that is accessible, transparent, and committed to providing solutions.
As the logistics space continues to grow, it creates newfound expenses and complexities. Clients like ours know that and need a supply chain partner who is genuinely interested in their business. By understanding the needs of our customers and carriers, we can provide the most reliable, effective drayage services possible.
Unlike some drayage companies in Philadelphia, PA, we begin managing your containers before they ever hit the ports by mapping out the most efficient pathways of delivery. That way, our team can discover the best drayage pathways to expedite delivery time and reduce fees that cut into profits.
Our valued drayage customers choose RelyEx because:
At RelyEx, we like to consider ourselves problem solvers. The nature of the container drayage industry presents new challenges every day, but we're firm believers that there's a solution to every hurdle we encounter. And while some drayage businesses implement a reactive approach, RelyEx customers choose us for our proactive mindset. We take pride in solving your company's drayage challenges to help you avoid frustrating fees, missed expectations, and delayed shipments. We strive to make every transaction successful and streamlined by partnering with shippers who prioritize transparent, prompt, and accurate communication.
RelyEx approaches your business from the customer's perspective - a unique approach that helps us provide high-quality, effective drayage services. We've been in the customers' shoes, know their pain points, and because of that, provide first-hand solutions to stressful supply chain issues. With over 30 years of collective knowledge, our team excels in:
Our varied, high-level drayage shipping experience helps us achieve our overarching goal: expertly managing your freight movement needs. That way, you can direct your time and focus on growing the core aspects of your business while we handle the heavy lifting. Throw in proactive planning to avoid bottleneck situations and strong communication for transparent customer relations, and you can see why so many companies trust RelyEx.
When it comes to shipping logistics, it only takes one mistake by a mediocre worker to disrupt your business. That's why, at RelyEx, we pride ourselves on forming and nurturing relationships with carriers who match our standards of care. Our founding partner started his career transporting freight for companies as an on-demand carrier. He uses that knowledge to maximize the resources of our carriers so that our customer's expectations aren't just met - they're exceeded.
Based in the port city of Philadelphia, RelyEx has a keen understanding of the challenges of managing the inbound and outbound flow of containers. Our team of container drayage experts provides your business with unique solutions to nuanced shipping problems, minimizing demurrage and ensuring the successful delivery of your freight.
Customers choose RelyEx because:
Some drayage brokers don't care how customers feel about their service as long as they sign a contract and get paid. As a solutions-oriented team, RelyEx takes the opposite approach. We're motivated by the opportunity to overachieve for our customers and to provide them with the best logistics experience possible. With professional experience as carriers and shippers ourselves, we know the roadblocks and challenges you're facing. We excel at mapping out the best plans of action to solve those problems. But that's just the start.
Our tracking experts monitor and manage every aspect of your drayage shipment from booking to delivery, 24/7. Once booked, we look for the availability of your containers hourly once they're at port. When they arrive, our team acts quickly to access your storage containers when they're available.
Plus, RelyEx ensures your company's requirements are met by the carrier during loading and delivery and provide necessary documentation as fast as possible. With real-time tracking updates and access to our customer service professionals, your team has complete visibility throughout the shipping process.
Over the years, RelyEx has built a strong network of drayage carriers, transloading locations, and container storage spaces to provide you with the best possible options to match your drayage service needs. We know that searching for quality service presents an added layer of complexity and stress to our customers. That's why we work hard to take that off your plate by connecting you with our reliable shipping partners.
With a background moving freight as an on-demand carrier, our founding partner understands how to maximize the resources and equipment of our carriers to match your needs.
Like other industries, the global logistics space is complex. Mistakes will be made, and problems will happen. With those truths in mind, RelyEx has built its reputation as problem solvers. Unlike other drayage companies, we don't shy away from this industry's complexities because we take pride in solving problems. Even better, we aim to do what's needed to avoid those problems altogether.
As your logistics partner, we will provide your company with accurate, transparent, and prompt communication. If there are unexpected issues, we'll notify you immediately and will provide several options to remedy the problem. We even offer custom reporting for large clients who need at-the-moment updates and quick access to shipment documentation.
Why let the unpredictability of your industry dictate your success? With a background working in manufacturing, our founders are familiar with the demands of managing production schedules and sales orders. That experience makes it abundantly clear to us that every business and industry is different. If you struggle with seasonal surges or other factors, our team supports your business with a mapped-out plan and schedule, so you stay ahead of the game.
QUOTE REQUESTBased in the port city of Philadelphia, RelyEx has a keen understanding of the challenges of managing the inbound and outbound flow of containers. Our team of container drayage experts provides your business with unique solutions to nuanced shipping problems, minimizing demurrage and ensuring the successful delivery of your freight.
Demurrage is a charge issued by a port, carrier, or railroad company for storing containers that do not load and unload their cargo promptly. Once the daily limit of free time is exceeded, shippers are charged daily demurrage fees until their cargo is shipped. Though different ports have different policies, charges can range from $75 to $150 per container, per day, for a set number of days. Additional demurrage fees are incurred if a shipper exceeds the port's parameters.
Even when shippers maintain a tight schedule for unloading freight, external factors can play an uncontrollable part. Typically, shipping mistakes caused by human error trigger the most demurrage charges. Some of the most common causes of demurrage include:
Typically, shippers need four specific documents to clear shipments through customs: A Bill of Lading (or BOL), a commercial invoice, a packing list, and an arrival notice. Seasoned drayage brokers like RelyEx are used to preparing these documents, but new shippers tend to miss this step due to inexperience.
If a shipper only pays for part of their shipment, a vessel operator may refuse to release their freight until their bill is fully paid. Payment delays lead to cargo detention at the port of entry, which triggers demurrage charges.
QUOTE REQUESTPaperwork is needed when you're shipping goods with a drayage company. When documents like the Certificate of Origin or Bill of Lading arrive at their destination late, you can expect demurrage fees. RelyEx avoids this situation entirely by being proactive when submitting paperwork.
Additional causes for demurrage fees can include:
At RelyEx, we know first-hand how stressful supply chain problems can be for business owners. Though drayage shipping might seem minor on the surface, it affects every stage of your shipping process. And when inevitable hurdles manifest, RelyEx propels you over the proverbial roadblocks with a proactive mindset and a passion for challenging projects. We believe that all problems have a solution, and our unique vantage point allows us to provide first-hand solutions to customers in a wide array of industries.
When it comes to your business, don't settle for anything less than RelyEx. Contact our office today to learn more about how we make your shipping experience streamlined and stress-free.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Last year, "A Philly Special Christmas," the Christmas album from the Philadelphia Eagles, was not only an absolute holiday hit - it was also hard to get.So heads up, Birds fans! The presale for their second Christmas album, '"A Philly Special Christmas Special" begins on Friday.In preparation, Australia native and Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata stopped b...
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Last year, "A Philly Special Christmas," the Christmas album from the Philadelphia Eagles, was not only an absolute holiday hit - it was also hard to get.
So heads up, Birds fans! The presale for their second Christmas album, '"A Philly Special Christmas Special" begins on Friday.
In preparation, Australia native and Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata stopped by the 6abc studios to give us sneak peek at what volume two has in store, while treating us to a special holiday performance.
Mailata was joined by West Philly songstress Lady Alma as the pair prepared to record their duet for this year's 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade.
"We don't have Thanksgiving back home," Mailata says of spending the holiday with us, "So this is an honor and a privilege."
Lady Alma is an Eagles fan and says she's thrilled to share the stage with Mailata.
"He brings that energy," she said. "Jordan Mailata is a vibe."
Their song "Merry Christmas Baby" was on last year's hit holiday album, "A Philly Special Christmas."
"People went crazy for it," Mailata says. "We definitely set the bar low, to be honest, but we should have known that the fans and the people of Philly would get behind our calls and raise a little money."
Sales from the first Christmas album raised over one million dollars for local charities. Now, the Birds are back with a sophomore album.
RELATED: Philadelphia Eagles to release second holiday album 'A Philly Special Christmas Special'
This time, Mailata, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson star in some throwback Claymation skits and even have their own action figures.
Mailata says they felt they had to kick it up a notch for this second album by bringing in some big star power.
"I grabbed the mic, and went to sing and couldn't sing," Mailata laughs about his duet with Patti LaBelle. "That was a first, but we got through it in the end."
Jason Kelce's brother, Travis Kelce, is also on board. Mailata laughs at rumors that Travis Kelce's girlfriend, Taylor Swift, is making an appearance.
"Who's that?" he laughs, "Never heard of her!"
Just kidding. Mailata is a Swiftie and like Swift, music found Mailata at a young age. He says he was a singer first and a football player second.
"I've always been singing. Music was my first love before sports. For me, this is no new territory. This is familiar territory for me. It's just like breathing," says Mailata.
The first single on "A Philly Special Christmas Special" is a cover of Mariah Carey's modern holiday classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
While preorders begin on Friday, November 3, the full album will be available to stream on December 1.
And you can watch Jordan Mailata and Lady Alma perform in the 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade, starting at 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, right here on 6abc.
For more information about "A Philly Special Christmas Special" and to preorder the album, CLICK HERE.
Have a question about Philly’s neighborhoods or the systems that shape them? PlanPhilly reporters want to hear from you! Ask us a question or send us a story idea you think we should cover.The city is again trying to sell the Logan Triangle, an infamous 35-acre slice of North Philadelphia that’s sat undeveloped for decades.The sprawling city-owned site — bounded by...
Have a question about Philly’s neighborhoods or the systems that shape them? PlanPhilly reporters want to hear from you! Ask us a question or send us a story idea you think we should cover.
The city is again trying to sell the Logan Triangle, an infamous 35-acre slice of North Philadelphia that’s sat undeveloped for decades.
The sprawling city-owned site — bounded by Louden Street, 6th Street, Roosevelt Boulevard, and 11th Street — was once home to nearly 1,000 homes. In the late 1980s, the city began demolishing them because the properties were sinking into the unstable soil beneath them and had been for decades, so much so that the front steps of some houses were higher than their front porches.
Fast forward, and the grassy lots comprising the triangle remain an eyesore despite several planning studies, countless community meetings, and at least three development proposals from high-profile companies, including Bart Blatstein’s Tower Investments.
In 2015, the Goldenberg Group inked a deal with the city to redevelop the troubled site. But the developer’s plan, a basketball recreation center with a library and computer lab, fizzled out — leading the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation to announce a new request for proposal this week.
A spokesperson for Goldenberg did not return multiple requests for comment.
The Logan Triangle is zoned CMX-3, which allows for commercial mixed-use developments of up to five stories. Single-family homes are prohibited. Apartments are not.
The request for proposal, or RFP, released by PHDC does not specify what should be built. The city does want proposals to be “beneficial for the community” and have “strong urbanism and architecture,” according to the 16-page document.
It also encourages developers to consider the goals and recommendations detailed in the Logan Neighborhood Plan, completed a few years after the city secured control of the vacant lots through eminent domain.
The plan, which covers blocks beyond the triangle, calls for investing in affordable housing, streetscape improvements, building neighborhood pride, and transforming the triangle into a community asset with regional impact, among other goals.
The deadline to submit a bid is January 11, 2024. The city hopes to select a developer the following month, but it could be years before the site is put into productive use.
“I’m committed to making sure that a quality development that falls in line with what the community wants is in place at that site,” said City Councilmember Cindy Bass, whose district contains the triangle.
The triangle may not be an easy sell.
As it stands today, only about half of the Logan Triangle is suitable for redevelopment. The center of the site is particularly unstable.
That means interested developers would likely need to remediate the land before starting construction.
There is no public funding attached to the RFP to help cover that upfront cost, requiring applicants to line up those dollars before submitting their bid. That price tag, expected to be in the millions, would be on top of any private construction loans a developer takes out to complete the project.
Developers would also need a zoning variance if they want to build something larger than what regulations permit, a process that requires approval from either City Council or the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Mohamed Rushdy, managing partner of the Riverwards Group and vice president of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, said it will take a “special kind of developer” to write the triangle’s next chapter.
“I think you’re gonna get responses, but I don’t think you’re gonna get a dozen responses,” said Rushdy of the RFP process.
The homes that once populated the Logan Triangle were built in the 1920s on top of a creek bed filled with ash and cinder. In the following decades, the mixture behaved like slow-moving quicksand, causing the homes to sink.
In 1986, a massive gas main explosion on Valentine’s Day revealed just how bad things had gotten. By the following year, the city started condemning properties and offering buyouts to residents of the Logan Triangle on a volunteer basis. A nonprofit, the Logan Assistance Corporation, was set up for the sole purpose of overseeing the process.
The work was projected to take three years. In the end, it took the better part of two decades, with the last family moving out around 2003.
The city rejected two development proposals before Goldenberg took on the project in 2015.
Neighbors learned in May that the company was walking away from the project.
Charlene Samuels, chairperson for the Logan Civic Association, said members of the development team told residents the company had struggled to secure enough funding.
There was little outrage — just disappointment over another setback.
“Sometimes you just get tired,” said Samuels.
Longtime resident Ernie Bristow said she remains optimistic that the triangle will see a new day. But the new RFP is just a piece of paper to her right now.
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” Bristow said. “Until we see them breaking ground, I don’t believe it.”
Samuels is of the same mind.
“I’m just gonna wait. I’m gonna sit back and wait,” said Samuels.
<div _="@=1361,dis=none"><div pseudo="-webkit-input-placeholder" id="placeholder" style="display: block !important;" _="@=1362,dis=none,[@=1363]">Have a question about Philly’s neighborhoods or the systems that shape them? Let us know here.</div><div _="@=1364,dis=none"></div></div>
Wide receiver A.J. Brown has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October after an absolutely scintillating five-game stretch during which Brown caught 40 passes for 700 yards and 5 touchdowns."A.J. has been on a tremendous tear the last couple games. He's obviously a great player. He's making the most of his opportunities when the ball comes his way. I would imagine that defenses start to even put a little bit more focus and attention on him. And once that happens, I think that's kind of the beauty of our offense...
Wide receiver A.J. Brown has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October after an absolutely scintillating five-game stretch during which Brown caught 40 passes for 700 yards and 5 touchdowns.
"A.J. has been on a tremendous tear the last couple games. He's obviously a great player. He's making the most of his opportunities when the ball comes his way. I would imagine that defenses start to even put a little bit more focus and attention on him. And once that happens, I think that's kind of the beauty of our offense is we do have guys who can make plays at a bunch of different spots," Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson said. "For us achieving that balance of being able to use all five positional players in a manner that's contributing to the offense is obviously the ultimate goal and that can look a little bit different each and every week. So, fortunately for us, A.J. has been playing great and hopefully we continue on that path."
It's the latest in a season-long string of individual honors for the 7-1 Eagles and the first time an Eagle has been named the conference Player of the Month since linebacker Haason Reddick won in December/January of the 2022 season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month in September of 2022. It's the first Player of the Month award in Brown's Pro Bowl career.
Brown, of course, made NFL history on Sunday when he gained 130 receiving yards against Washington, marking the sixth straight game in which he gained at least 125 receiving yards.
In the five games in October, Brown just tore defenses up. Here are his numbers, game by game, in the 4-1 month for the Eagles:
October 1 vs Washington: 9 receptions, 175 yards, 2 touchdowns
October 8 at Los Angeles: 6 receptions, 127 yards
October 15 at Jets: 7 receptions, 131 yards
October 22 vs Dolphins: 10 receptions, 137 yards, 1 touchdown
October 30 at Washington: 8 receptions, 130 yards, 2 touchdowns
"You've got to be humble in this game. You've got to be able to prove it each and every week. That's what I'm trying to do," Brown said after Sunday's win at Washington. "I'm trying to come in and work and try to be better each and every day."
For the season, Brown has 60 receptions, 939 yards, and five touchdowns. He ranks fourth in the NFL in receptions, second in receiving yards, tied for sixth in touchdowns, second in first downs gained on receptions, and tied for third in receptions of 40-plus yards.
Brown is just the latest Eagle to be recognized for outstanding performance this season. Placekicker Jake Elliott won Special Teams Player of the Week in Weeks 1 and 4, running back D'Andre Swift was named Offensive Player of the Week in Week 2, Brown won NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career for his output against the Dolphins, and, on Wednesday, Jalen Hurts was honored as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his four-touchdown performance in the come-from-behind win over Washington.
Brandon Biro will make his season debut on a line with Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson.PHILADELPHIA – Brandon Biro will make his season debut for the Buffalo Sabres against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday.Biro was recalled from Rochester on Tuesday and practiced on a line with Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson. The move was made in response to a lower-body injury to Zach Benson, who is considered week to week.The game will air exclusively on MSG in the Buffalo broadcast...
Brandon Biro will make his season debut on a line with Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson.
PHILADELPHIA – Brandon Biro will make his season debut for the Buffalo Sabres against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday.
Biro was recalled from Rochester on Tuesday and practiced on a line with Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson. The move was made in response to a lower-body injury to Zach Benson, who is considered week to week.
The game will air exclusively on MSG in the Buffalo broadcast market with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. Out-of-market fans can watch the national broadcast on TNT. The puck drops at 7.
Here are five things to know.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start for the second straight game after making 23 saves for his first career shutout against Colorado on Sunday. He will be backed up by Devon Levi, who will dress for the first time since Oct. 19 due to a lower-body injury.
The Sabres held an optional skate and did not run line rushes.
Biro joined the Sabres organization as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State University in March 2020 and has since developed into one of Rochester’s top offensive producers, culminating in career-high totals in goals (16) and points (51) in just 49 games last season.
He played one NHL game – in Montreal in February 2022 – and has merited additional recalls with his performance in Rochester, but injuries prevented the timing from working in his favor.
“This is a guy that we multiple times last year were ready to call him up and he was not healthy,” Sabres coach Don Granato said.
Biro’s presence on a line with Thompson is a credit to how highly he is thought of as a playmaker not only by the Buffalo coaching staff, but also by the other players in the Sabres’ dressing room.
“Biro helps us because he adds some skill, some playmaking ability,” Granato said. “He’s just a very intelligent and slippery hockey player. He played with different guys in camp. Every guy he played with there was chemistry because he has a real good hockey sense.
“So, I’m excited that we have an opportunity to have a little bit more depth because of his creativity. He’s earned a lot of respect from that locker room with what I’ve said about his characteristics of having hockey sense. Guys want to play with him. As a coach, you’re always gauging that.”
Rasmus Dahlin enters tonight riding a career-best eight-game point streak, including goals in each of the last two games. He’s far from alone:
Granato felt the Sabres played to their up-tempo, aggressive identity in their win over the Avalanche. They’ll look to replicate that Wednesday seeking consecutive wins for the first time this season.
“That was the challenge to our guys, was to start stringing some good games together,” Granato said. “It’s more about playing well and good. The results follow that. We need to come out tonight adamant about winning a hockey game. That’s what we’re looking for.”
The Flyers have lost four of their last five games after starting the season 3-1-0, though Granato cautioned against underestimating the John Tortorella-coached team.
“They’re always ready to play, they’re always ready to compete,” Granato said. “They’re definitely better than they were a year ago and playing much more assertive and, I guess, better as a group, as a team. It will be a challenge tonight for us.”
Travis Konecny leads Philadelphia with eight goals and 11 points. Carter Hart will start in goal.
Michelle Zauner has been on such a magical run with Jubilee, the joyful 2021 album by her band Japanese Breakfast, plus the runaway success of her Crying in H Mart memoir, that it seems a legitimate question: Is she some kind of wizard?She did dress up as one at the Fillmore Philadelphia on Tuesday night. For Halloween, and the fin...
Michelle Zauner has been on such a magical run with Jubilee, the joyful 2021 album by her band Japanese Breakfast, plus the runaway success of her Crying in H Mart memoir, that it seems a legitimate question: Is she some kind of wizard?
She did dress up as one at the Fillmore Philadelphia on Tuesday night. For Halloween, and the final date of a Japanese Breakfast tour that has stretched over more than two years, the band members were all costumed as characters from The Lord of the Rings.
Zauner was Saruman, the white-robed, long-haired, bearded sorcerer played by Christopher Lee. The band was introduced as “Japanese Breakfast, my precious!” by surprise guest Saturday Night Live comedian Sarah Sherman (more on her later), outfitted as Gollum.
The set opened with “Paprika,” with Zauner taking to the stage with a walking staff in hand which she used to bang a gong illuminated by a circle of skulls. The Jubilee highlight track’s hook celebrates the spice of life with the declaration: “It’s a rush!”
It sure was. The nerdy LOTR presentation didn’t have any obvious connection to the music. But the playful staging — Zauner’s husband, guitar and keyboard player Peter Bradley, wore a towering pointy hat as Gandolf, and sax player Adam Schatz was a tree person — added to the special-occasion sense of the hometown show.
Four songs in, before the wistful “Kokomo, IN,” Zauner said: “I’ve already got a mouth full of hair.” She chided Bradley, er, Gandolf, for tossing aside his fake beard. The Bryn Mawr College graduate who made her indie rock entrée with Philly emo band Little Big League called the show “The Last Jubilee,” and said no discussion was needed in deciding where to close the tour.
“It had to be here,” she said. “We’ll always be a Philly band. We came up in this city. We will die in this city!” She added that Philadelphia “had so much to do with the musician I’ve become.”
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That progression was evident throughout a 90-minute, 20-song set that was generous in spirit and lovingly received by a largely uncostumed sold-out crowd.
There were two nods to Zauner’s Little Big League days. First was “Boyish,” a spiky, noisy song originally recorded by that band and then reborn as something more smooth and sophisticated on Japanese Breakfast’s 2017 album Soft Sounds From Another Planet.
Later, Zauner brought out her former bandmate Kevin O’Halloran — dressed as an elf, if my understanding of LOTR fashion is correct — for Little Big League’s chiming “Lindsey.” And since LBL bassist Deven Craige is a full-time member of Japanese Breakfast, that amounted to three-quarters of a Little Big League reunion.
The show displayed Zauner’s range by touching on her 2021 soundtrack to the video game Sable, with “Glider.” And it showcased her evolution as a narrative, non-autobiographical songwriter on eight songs from Jubilee, with her taking over lead guitar duties from Bradley on the lyrical, stretched out “Posing for Cars.”
The night was at its most ecstatic — complete with confetti cannons — with the set-closing, hyper-catchy crowd-pleaser, “Everybody Wants to Love You,” from Psychopomp, Japanese Breakfast’s 2016 debut.
That album marked the first time Zauner wrote about the death of her mother, Chongmi, the relationship that is central to the story about grief, food, and Korean identity told in Crying in H Mart.
The bestseller — currently No. 6 on the New York Times nonfiction paperback list — is being made into a movie, with no release date yet set. Zauner has written a screenplay, and The White Lotus actor Will Sharpe is directing.
» READ MORE: Michelle Zauner of Philly’s Japanese Breakfast has a new memoir born of grief and a new album full of joy
Tuesday’s show clearly carried emotional weight for performers and fans. It marks the end of one phase of Zauner’s career while pointing ahead to the next.
The new phase was teased with one brand-new song — the spare and lovely “Orlando” — with Zauner joking that it was from a forthcoming Japanese Breakfast album made up entirely of sea chanteys.
And then Zauner announced that she and Bradley are moving to Korea in 2024 “to write my next book and work on the album.” The next chapters from the musician and author are coming soon.
The show was opened by West Philly indie quintet Crooks & Nannies, with leaders Max Rafter and Sam Huntington switching off between singing out front and playing drums.
The duo, who grew up in upstate New York before moving to Philly a decade ago, pulled from their new album Real Life, their first in seven years. They were more compelling the noisier they got, particularly when Rafter — with a face-colored Frankenstein green — got skronky on the saxophone.
Sherman followed as an unannounced extra-special attraction. Her confrontational humor — which at times brought Andy Kaufman to mind — did not go over well at the Fillmore, however. It was daring: It takes some nerve to come to Philadelphia and trash Eagles fans and cheesesteaks. Her underwritten 20-minute set felt twice as long. She wore a clown suit but got few laughs.